Fusing elements of punk rock and heavy metal, sporting angst-filled and introspective lyrics (often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom), and known for straightforward and high-energy performances, Alternative Rock took the music world by storm at the end of the 80’s and beginning of the 90’s, boosted by the undeniable success of albums like Nirvana‘s Nevermind, Pearl Jam‘s Ten, Soundgarden‘s Badmotorfinger, Alice in Chains‘ Dirt and Stone Temple Pilots‘ Core to name a few. Despite the genre – and the subculture associated with – it declined in prominence by mid-to-late 1990s (with many acts disappearing into oblivion and some other losing their core members to drugs and suicide), some acts took the roots of that grunge movement and transformed it into an accessible, often uplifting and definitely more mainstream sound, one that has remained relevant and commercially successful until today. And luckily for us living in one of the Southernmost cities of the US, two of the top exponents of what alternative rock is today visited a packed Bayfront Park Amphitheater on a very hot and humid night last Saturday.
Embarked in a North American tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of both their seminal albums Throwing Copper and Sixteen Stone, BUSH and LIVE have joined forces for The ALT-IMATE Tour, a high-powered co-headline summer run that is bringing all those songs that still resonate so profoundly with people to the live setting. It seems unreal to contemplate that nearly 25 years ago BUSH and LIVE released their first albums and played their first-ever shows. Little did we know then they would survive the pitfalls of the music industry and ultimately become two iconic rock bands. Nonetheless, there are two immediate questions to be answered after two decades and a half: Are the bands still good? And have the voices of the front-men and their stage personas held up over time?
One thing was clear before the first note hit the airwaves: both bands are still capable of drawing sizeable crowds to attend their performances. While the music scene in South Florida has changed, the demand for rock concerts hasn’t, and fans packed the venue, eager to take a trip down memory lane and hoping to witness something truly special. And they left with a smile of satisfaction painted on their faces.
While this was billed as being a co-headlined concert by two of the most recognized names in alternative rock, BUSH and LIVE have been sharing the headlining spot on this tour and on this night, LIVE was to be the headliner. Although Gavin Rossdale and company will not close the night, they certainly didn’t act like it. With what can only be described as an impressive high-energy set, BUSH delivered what every one of their fans came for; a balls-to-the-wall rock show. Led by front-man Rossdale, along with Chris Traynor on lead guitar, Corey Britz on bass and touring drummer Nik Hughes the band pressed the liveliness pedal since the very beginning, engaging their followers immediately by opening with the 1994 hit “Machinehead.” Rossdale sang in his distinctive strong voice – that couldn’t have sounded better – with Nik Hughes pounding the drums like if wanted to break them. It didn’t take long before the audience saw Rossdale’s swagger that included jumping off the drum riser and bouncing around the stage like he first did 25 years ago. Amidst bright and swiftly changing stage lights and a giant LED backdrop projecting videos and fast pacing images, the band’s sound was absolutely spot-on and as fresh as ever. BUSH didn’t waste a second of their stage time, and torn through hits like “This Is War,” “Swallowed,” “Body,” “The Disease of the Dancing Cats,” “Bullet Holes,” (from the “John Wick: Chapter 3” soundtrack) and “Little Things.” A personal highlight of the night came early in the set when Rossdale left the stage and joined the crowd as he sang “Everything Zen.” He engaged his fans on a one-on-one personal meet and greet experience, running through nearly all areas of the amphitheater while his band-mates held the forth on stage with unrelenting dynamism, and impressively enough he did this without skipping a beat. It was wondrous to witness how important is for the band to connect directly with their fans, a love that was clearly and abundantly reciprocated. Another superb moment happened when Rossdale sang a solo version of “Glycerine” along with his electric guitar, and joined by thousands of voices in unison, while the crowd clutched their cell phones to one of the bands most popular songs. BUSH closed out their set with the top radio hit “Comedown” off their most popular album 1994’s “Sixteen Stone,” and a thunderous ovation greeted them as they vanished backstage.
BUSH SET-LIST
Machinehead / This Is War / Everything Zen / Swallowed / Body / The Disease of the Dancing Cats / Bullet Holes / Little Things / Glycerine (Gavin, solo with electric guitar) / Comedown / Outro (The Sound of Winter)
LIVE SET-LIST:
Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones song) / The Dam at Otter Creek / All Over You / Selling the Drama / Losing My Religion (R.E.M. cover) / Shit Towne / Requiem: I. Kyrie (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart song) / The Dolphin’s Cry / Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones cover) / Lakini’s Juice / I Alone / White, Discussion
Encore:
Heaven (Solo Ed, Electric after acoustic guitar didn’t work) / Turn My Head (Solo Ed, Electric guitar, joined by Chad Taylor towards end of song) / Lightning Crashes
